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The Sorrows of Jerusalem

How lonely sits the city
    that was full of people!
How she has become like a widow,
    who was once great among the nations!
She who was a princess among the provinces
    has become a slave!

She weeps sorely in the night,
    her tears are on her cheeks;
among all her lovers
    she has none to comfort her.
All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
    they have become her enemies.

Judah has gone into captivity,
    under affliction and great servitude;
she dwells among the nations,
    she finds no rest;
all her persecutors overtook her
    in the midst of distress.

The roads to Zion mourn
    because no one comes to the solemn feasts.
All her gates are desolate;
    her priests sigh,
her virgins are afflicted,
    and she herself suffers bitterly.

Her adversaries have become her masters,
    her enemies prosper;
for the Lord has afflicted her
    because of the multitude of her transgressions.
Her children have gone into captivity
    before the enemy.

From the daughter of Zion
    all her beauty has departed.
Her princes have become like deer
    that find no pasture;
they fled without strength
    before the pursuer.

In the days of her affliction and misery
    Jerusalem remembers all her pleasant things
    that she had in the days of old.
When her people fell into the hand of the enemy,
    there was no one to help her.
The adversaries saw her
    and mocked at her desolation.

Jerusalem has sinned grievously;
    therefore she has become vile.
All who honored her despise her,
    for they have seen her nakedness;
she herself sighs
    and turns away.

Her uncleanness is in her skirts;
    she took no thought of her future;
therefore her fall is astounding;
    she has no comforter.
“O Lord, look upon my affliction,
    for the enemy has triumphed!”

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Jerusalem in Affliction

How lonely sits the city
That was full of people!
(A)How like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!
The (B)princess among the provinces
Has become a [a]slave!

She (C)weeps bitterly in the (D)night,
Her tears are on her cheeks;
Among all her lovers
She has none to comfort her.
All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
They have become her enemies.

(E)Judah has gone into captivity,
Under affliction and hard servitude;
(F)She dwells among the [b]nations,
She finds no (G)rest;
All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.

The roads to Zion mourn
Because no one comes to the [c]set feasts.
All her gates are (H)desolate;
Her priests sigh,
Her virgins are afflicted,
And she is in bitterness.

Her adversaries (I)have become [d]the master,
Her enemies prosper;
For the Lord has afflicted her
(J)Because of the multitude of her transgressions.
Her (K)children have gone into captivity before the enemy.

And from the daughter of Zion
All her splendor has departed.
Her princes have become like deer
That find no pasture,
That [e]flee without strength
Before the pursuer.

In the days of her affliction and roaming,
Jerusalem (L)remembers all her pleasant things
That she had in the days of old.
When her people fell into the hand of the enemy,
With no one to help her,
The adversaries saw her
And mocked at her [f]downfall.

(M)Jerusalem has sinned gravely,
Therefore she has become [g]vile.
All who honored her despise her
Because (N)they have seen her nakedness;
Yes, she sighs and turns away.

Her uncleanness is in her skirts;
She (O)did not consider her destiny;
Therefore her collapse was awesome;
She had no comforter.
“O Lord, behold my affliction,
For the enemy is exalted!”

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Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 1:1 Lit. forced laborer
  2. Lamentations 1:3 Gentiles
  3. Lamentations 1:4 appointed
  4. Lamentations 1:5 Lit. her head
  5. Lamentations 1:6 Lit. are gone
  6. Lamentations 1:7 Vg. Sabbaths
  7. Lamentations 1:8 LXX, Vg. moved or removed